Optical illusion device.



E. C. PERKINS. OPTICAL ILLUSION DEVICE. APPLIOATION FILED JUNE 1o, 190e,

Patented 33,11. 12, 1909.

sHEB'rs-SHEBT' 1.

- -MAMAM` F. C. PERKINS. OPTICAL ILLUSION DEVICE. APPLIOATIQN FILED JUNE 1o, 190B.

Patented Jan. 12. 1909.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

F. o. PERKINS. OPTIGAL ILLUSION DEVICE.

APPLIOATION FILED JUNE 10, 1908.

Patented Jan. 12,1909.

A 3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

Mx/ZW,

FRANK c. PERKINS, or' BUFFALO, New YORK.

oPTrcAI'. ILLUsIoN DEvIoE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 12, 1909.

Appllcatciled June 10, 1908. Serial No. 437,641.

To all whom 'it may concem:

Be it known that I, FRANK C. PERKINS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Buffalo, in the county of Erie and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Imrovement in which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an optical illusion device by which it may be made appear that one object changes into another, or one object may be made to appear and disappear.

The object of this invention is to provide a simple and effective illusion device of this character which can be produced at low cost; which is so constructed that it can be readily assembled for use or dismembered and folded or stacked compactly for storing or shipping and in which theillumination is effected electrically and automatically.

In the accompanying drawings consisting of 3 sheets: Figure l is a horizontal section of one form of my improved illusion device. Figs. 2 and 3 are vertical sections thereof in the correspondingly numbered lines in Fig. l. Fig. l is a perspective view thereof. Figs. 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9 are electrical diagrams showing different ways of illuminating the illusion device. Fig. 10 is a similar view showing a modified construction of an illusion device. Fig. 11 is a similar view of the side walls of the last mentioned construction in a partly folded condition. Fig. 12 is a horizontal section of the construction shown ind Fig. 10. Fig. 13 is a vertical section of the same in line 13-13, Fig. 12.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views.

The inclosing casing, housing or cabinet of my improved illusion device is preferably so constructed that it is collapsible or may be knocked down for convenience in storing and shipping. With this object in view the casing may be variously constructed, that shown in Figs. 1 4 comprising a horizontal top A and bottom B of rectangular form, an upright rear wall C, two upright side walls D, E arranged at the right and left sides of the housin and an upright front wall F extending rom one of the side walls, say D, inwardly about half way of the width of the housing leaving a sight opening G at the front of the casing adjacent to the left wall E. The sections of the casing are preferably constructed of sheet metal although any other suitable material may be used suc as asbestos or paste board and the sections Optical Illusion D evices, of

lapping pieces are detachably connected by providing the marginal parts or edges of the top and bottom sections with locking channels, grooves or folds a, b which are adapted to receive hook shaped tongues or flanges c, d at the upper and lower edges of the rear, side and front wall sections, said channels and tongues being engaged with -each other by sliding the same lengthwise relatively to each other.

The vertical corners are preferably made tight by means of vertical flanges h arranged on the corner edges of the wall sections and over lapping each other.

The front wall is preferably made in one piece but the rear and side walls are each preferably constructed in two normally overfor convenience in packing and also to permit of opening the casing at the right side adjacent to the front right corner and at the rear side adjacent to the rear left corner for the purpose to be hereinafter described.

Arranged diagonally within .the casing the full hei ht thereof and extending from the front legt corner to the right rear corner thereof is a partition which divides the cas- 1n The left half J of the partition opposite the sight opening of the casing is transparent and the right half J1 opposite the front wall section F 1s opaque. The transparent part of the partition preferably consists of glass and the opaque part of sheet metal. the two parts being joined by a vertical groove y' formed on the left edge of the opaque partition section and receiving the inner opposing edge of the glass partition section.

The interior of the casing and also the opaque part 0f the partition are rendered non-reiiecting-by making the same of black or dark dull material such as charcoal or iron, by producing an oxidized copper finish on tin by blackening or otherwise preparing the same to prevent reflection of light.

Adjacent to the rear or right end of the artition, the right wall has an opening 7c and the rear wall has an opening k1 which openings lead from the exterior into the front and rear compartments, respectively, and permits of inserting a match, taper, candle or other light by hand into these compartments or withdrawing the same for the purpose either of illuminating these compartments or darkening the same. The

hy top of the casing is also provided adjacent to the right or rear end of the partition with into front and rear compartments I, I1.

, by the'fju'sey of two v containing and rear compartments. /Detachablysecured in these upper openingsjandarranged inV the front and rear compartments, respectively, are two mcandescent electric-lamps L, L1 whereby these compartments maybe illuminated electrically. p v I Upon placing an object in one O r the other of the'` compartments in the caslng within range of the glass part of the partition and alternately illuminating the compartments, it will produce the illusion upon one looking into the casing through the sieht opening that the object is appearing and disappear- '1r lglVhen the rear compartmentvronly'is illuminated any object arranged within the same in rear of the tion is visible t0 the'spectator looking into the casing through'the sightopening thereof but when the front compartment only. is illuminated and the rear compartment is dark any article in rear of the glass partition is obscured and any article in the front compartment is reflected by the front side of `the glass partition inthe line of vision of the spectator at the sight opening and is made `to .appear as if located behind the glass partition. As shown in Figs. 1 and 4, an empty bowl or aquarium m is arranged in the rear compartment and a bowl or aquarium m1 of like character containing fish is arranged in the front compartment. UponV illuminating the compartments alternately it will appear to the-observer at the sight opening that a [ish is alternately ,present and absent from the 'samebowl A like illusion can be produced vases m2, ma arranged in the respective compartments gone containing flowers and the other none, as shown in Fig. 13, the tiowers seemingly appearing and disappearing from thev samev vase as the compartments are lit up alternately. Inv Fig. 12 two cages mt, mi are arranged in the compartments one being empty and thetother a bird which latter may be made to appear and disappear to the spectator by alternately lighting the compartments.

If desired, the left part of the rear wall be Iind the glass and the front part of the rig t'wall may be withdrawn and the faces of different persons may be placed therein in which case alternate illumination of the compartments produces the impression on the person gazing in the sight opening as if the faces of the persons 'at the side and rear openings of the casing were changing from one to the other at the same place. Instead of vplacin vfaces at the openings in the casing withln range of the lass part of the partition, any other article may be placed there and be made to appear and disappear'.

When used in the above described manner, this illusion device serves as a toy or magic article may-:be placed ,in` one compartment glass part ofthe parti,

box for amusement and entertainment lbut when it is desired to use the same for ad` vertising purposes, as for instance in a store window, the' `price and'v description' of` an andthe article referred'jto in the othercompartment within vrange of the-.glass part of the partition', thedescription and article apy parently appearing -and .disappearifng.` 1n

view ofthe spectator asthe compartments 7,5

. are lighted alternately.

When electric lamps are employed for illuminating the com artmentsf the opera. tion'A of the same may becontrolled by varicus meansto produce different effects. For

may be connected in"v parallel and each turned on or oli' by means of a hand o erated switch-,a of'any suitable constructlon. If desired, a hand operated adjustablere. sist'ance n1 maybe included in the circuit of each'la'mp, as shown'in Fig. v6.` f g Instead of turning thelamps on and olf by hand this may be done automatically in various ways, for instance, asshown in Fig. 7, in which the lam s are inv parallel on the lighting circuit an each hasa lamp connected in series therewith,- a thermostatic switch o is providedv with aheatingfcoil l01 which operates to automatically open and close the circuit vthroughl the respective lamp. As the coil 01y becomes heated above a predetermined temperature the movable contact of the switch o connected with the ,A same is disengaged from the companion sta- 100 tionary contact and when the coil o1 has again cooled sufliciently the movable contact of the switch o is engaged with the stationary contact. By this means the electric circuit is alternately o ened and. closed and the lamps lighted an extinguished. The electrical connections in Fig. 8 show the two lamps .in series, L being of high candle power and L1 of low lcandle power, and from'apoint between these vlamps a. short 110 circuit extends to the side of the lighting circuit which connects with the lamp L1, said short circuit containing a thermostatic switch o2. As the support 'of the movable contact of the switch Q2 becomes heated above the normal the movable contact is disengaged from its companion stationary contact and when said support `againcools suf.-4 liciently, the contactcarried by the same is again engaged with its 'companion"stationffy ary contact. When ,thefcontacts tofv the switch 02 are closedthe lam'p'L,1 is shortci-'rf cuited allowing the lamp L .to'burnat-v full brilliancy but when this 'switch isopened the two lamps operateingseries,relativelytofv thev lighting circuit caus'ingvthe` low-@candle power lamp L11 toA burnvwith inc rillianey and the 'high'.-candle-ip'ofwl be reduced to a of the high resi count 'A so l instance, as shownin Fig. 5', the lamps L, L1

power lamp L1 being thrown in series with it. A e

A double thermostatic switch p may bel used for alternately lighting lamps L, L1 as shown in Fig. 9. This switch has a stationary contact for each lamp L,. L1 connected with one side of the circuit and a movable contact connected with the other side of the circuit and adapted to be engaged alternately with the stationary contacts as the temperature of its support passes above or below normal, thereby opening and closing the circuits through the lamps alternately. This thermostat is placed on one side of the partition so that the'heat in the compartment operates the thermostat.

When the alternate lighting of the compartments is effected quickly the change in appearance of the object in the casing also occurs quickly, but when the light in one compartment is diminished gradually while the light in the other compartment is in creased in the same measure, the object in the former -gradually disappears or fades away while rthat in the latter gradually becomes more distinct beginning with a phantom-like. image and gradually owing more distinct until complete transitlon has been effected.

The modification of my improved illusion device shown in Figs. 10, 11, 12 and 13 is constructed as follows z-Q, R represent the rectangular top and bottom of the casing which are provided respectively with marginal flanges or rims g, 1' Which project toward each other and in the normal assembled position of the parts, as shown in Figs. 10 and 13. The front, right, left and rear walls s, s1, s2, s3 engage at their upper and lower edges with the top and bottom inside of their flanges and are connected together at their opposingv vertical edges by flexible hinges t, so that when these walls are removed from the top and bottom they may be folded compactly, as shown in Fig. 11, for storage or transportation. The dia onal partition U in this case consists of a single piece of glass extending continuously from the left front corner to the rear right corner of the casing, the left part u thereof opposite the sight opening being transparent while the rlght art u1 is covered on one or both-sides with black paper u2 or other material to render the same opa ue. The right wall and rear wall are provi ed with openings fv, lv1 for the insertion of hand lights in either compartment and the top is provided on opposite sides of the right part of .are detachably secured electric lamps L, L1 which may be turned on and ofi either autostruction previously described.

I claimas my invention:

1. An optical illusion device comprising a casing, an a diagonal transparent partition arranged in the casing and dividingthe same into front and rear compartments, said casing having a sight openmg in front of said partition and light openings through which a light may be inserted from the outside for illuminating said compartments alternately, said light o enings being arranged in the rear wall an in that side wall which is next to the rear end of the partition.

'2. An optical illusion device comprising a rectangular casing, ranged in the casing and consisting of a transparent front section which engages at its front end with one of the front corners of the casing and an opaque rear section engaging at its rear end with the diagonally o pos1te rear corner of the casing and provlded at its front end with a vertical channel which receives the rear end of the trans parent section, said casing having a sight opening in front of the transparent part of the partition, and means for illuminating the compartments in the casing on opposite sides of the partition.

3. An optical illusion device comprising a casing having a top, side walls, and a rear wall, said walls being slidably connected with the top and bottom and said side and rear walls being each constructed of a plurality of sections, and la partition having a transparent part and arranged diagonally in said casing those secopposite the transparent part of the partition being removable so as to form openin s jects arranged opposite these openings on FRANK C. PERKINS.

Witnesses THEO L. Por?, ANNA Hnmrs.

in these parts of the walls through which o the partition with openings fw, w1 in which matically or by hand the same as in the cona diagonal partition arl a bottom, a front wall,

tions of the rear and side walls diagonally the exterior of the casing may be visible on 

